Page 66 of A Conduit of Light
Sucha strange thing, she thought, suddenly entranced, to see the dark poisonous vines glide languidly over the mossy earth leaving a scorch of black in their wake.
“Whodo you think it’s coming for?”Hisvoice was steel and short in her ear as he pulled her body against his.
Hewas right.Thevines crept out of their decomposing womb toward where the three of them stood, andMoiragroaned lightly in her arm, turning her head, eyes closed still.
“Whatif it’s coming for—”
“Itisnotand you know it.Itdoes not want me orMoira.Itcomes foryou.Here’syour proof.”HetookMoirafrom her arms, gentle, as if taking a child.Hewrapped her in his vest, stepping behindKarus, inclining his head toward the vines.
Theyinched forward still, silent, but steady.
Andno—she couldn’t deny it any longer.
TheBlightwas growing.
Andit was coming for her.
Chapter32
Rev
Revichpaced the room.
Awithered book lay open in the palm of his hand, his other rubbing the back of his neck, pushing on the tense muscle there, tight as a bow string.
“Incendo.”Hismumble of magic lit the dying flames anew and in doing so, he could read the tiny script a little better.
“Andso came the second age ofFelgren, life returning to its soil, as if healed byBaronAdaynthhimself.There, he trained channelers, those who could wield magic, and made them into true conduits, those who had the knowledge needed to be useful in their preordained abilities.
Legendtells us thatBaronAdaynthwas a medicus conduit.Thefirst, but certainly not the last on the isle.
Muchof his time was spent creating the trials.Fourin total, each one representing the needed skills for each of the conduit types.Achanneler would need to pass at least one of these trials to move forward in their path as a conduit and then begin their apprenticeship outside ofFelgren.
Thefour women who first trained withBaronAdaynthbecame the first mentors of the conduits he would produce, and it is said that most of them would continue on to become the first in lineage as the rulers of the isle.
Themedicus conduit becoming the firstLadyof theSpire, mentoring future healers.Thefirst iumenta conduit becoming theMadameof theMountain, raising livestock and connecting with animals of the region.Andfinally, the firstQueenofHyrithiais said to have been an agricola conduit and no doubt the reasonHyrithiais known for its finely grown grains and fruit trees.
Itis unknown what happened to the first lapis conduit.Somesources say she ended up in theHallowMarshes, her ability to find precious stone leading to the first discovery of rhyzolm.
Thistale would fit neatly into the story of the first four trained conduits byBaronAdaynth, but this author wonders, how often is history molded to fit neatly into a box that we all can wrap our heads around?Whichof these stories are true, and which were created out of convenience, allowing the following generations the ability to hold onto something that cannot hurt them?Somethingthat is easy to believe and accept with no doubts crossing their minds as they go on with their lives, raising their children, working in their towns, unaware that what they have been told may not be the truth—or at least not the whole of it.”
Thereit was again.
Anotherauthor questioning history on the isle.
RevichandBaronHeimlenhad found dozens of books by now that seemed to imply that through all the author’s research, they could not confirm their findings, only suggest what may have been.
Insome ways, it felt toRevas if his understanding of the world was crumbling.Thestories they told all children now had gaping holes and cracks that he had not seen before.
Formonths, he andBaronHeimlenhad been researchingFelgrenOrigins, the firstBaron, and anything even hinting at the reason for theBlight.ButViridishad given them little to go on.
“Andso came the second age ofFelgren, life returning to its soil, as if healed byBaronAdaynthhimself.”
Hereread the beginning line of the book, flipping back once more to the title page, but there was nothing else.Thebook he held and had read at least twice now, began there, with that line.
ToRevich, it was suggesting something.Whatwas the first age ofFelgren, and what had caused the need for a second?
Uneasetightened his chest as he tilted his head back, lost in thought.Hedidn’t even want to entertain the natural conclusion thatFelgrenhad seen theBlightbefore.Butthat was exactly what this book was suggesting, wasn’t it?Theyall knewFelgrenneeded healingnow.HeandBaronHeimlenhad never discussed a possible connection between theBlightand theBlightress.
